The Census Bureau listed McKinney as the nation's fastest-growing city from 2000 to 2003 and again in 2006, among cities with more than 50,000 people. In 2007, it was ranked second-fastest-growing among cities with more than 100,000 people and in 2008 as third-fastest.[6] In the 2010 census, the city's population was 131,117, making it Texas's 19th-most populous city.[7] The most recent population estimate, produced by the city as of January 1, 2018, is 179,804.[2] As of May 2017, McKinney City was the third-fastest-growing city in the United States.[8]

In 2014, McKinney was rated #1 by Money Magazine as "Best Place to Live" in America.[2]

On March 24, 1849, William Davis, who owned 3,000 acres (12 km2) where McKinney now stands, donated 120 acres (0.49 km2) for the townsite. Ten years later, McKinney incorporated, and in 1913, the town adopted the commission form of government.

Old Collin County Courthouse in Courthouse Square, 2016.

For the first 125 years of its history, McKinney served as the principal commercial center for the county. The county seat provided farmers with flour, corn, and cotton mills, cotton gins, a cotton compress, and a cottonseed oil mill, as well as banks, churches, schools, newspapers, and from the 1880s, an opera house. Businesses also came to include a textile mill, an ice company, a large dairy, and a garment-manufacturing company. The population grew from 35 in 1848 to 4,714 in 1912. By 1953, McKinney had a population of more than 10,000 and 355 businesses. The town continued to serve as an agribusiness center for the county until the late 1960s.

By 1970, McKinney was surpassed in size by Plano. McKinney experienced moderate population growth, from 15,193 in the 1970 census, to 21,283 in the 1990 census. By the mid-1980s, the town had become a commuter center for residents who worked in Plano and Dallas. In 1985, it had a population of just over 16,000 and supported 254 businesses. Since then, McKinney's rate of increase has been much more dramatic. In the 2000 census, McKinney had grown to 54,369 with 2,005 businesses and in the 2010 census the population had more than doubled to 131,117 residents.[9] The Census Bureau's most recent estimated population for McKinney (July 1, 2015) is 162,898.[9] The most recent population estimate, produced by the city as of January 1, 2017, is 168,358.[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62.9 square miles (162.9 km2), of which 62.2 square miles (161.1 km2) is land and 0.7 square mile (1.7 km2), or 1.07%, is covered by water.[11]

It is also part of the Texas blackland prairies, which means it gets hot summers because it is in the Sun Belt. Humidity makes temperatures feel higher, and winters are mild and are usually rainy; snowstorms occasionally occur. Spring is the wettest part of the year, which brings winds from the Gulf Coast.

As of the 2010 census McKinney had a population of 131,117. The median age was 33. The racial composition of the population was 74.8% White, 10.5% Black, 0.7% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 3.1% reporting two or more races. About 18.6% of residents were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[14]

Of the 28,186 households, 45.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were not families; 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the city, the population was distributed as 30.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $63,366, and for a family was $72,133. Males had a median income of $50,663 versus $32,074 for females. The per capita income for the city was $28,185. About 4.9% of families and 8.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Between 1970 and 1990, McKinney experienced moderate population growth, from 15,193 in the 1970 census, to 21,283 in the 1990 census. Since then, McKinney's rate of increase has been much more dramatic.[6] In the 2000 census, McKinney had grown to 54,369 and to 131,117 in the 2010 census.

As of the 2000 U.S. Census, 64% of the foreign-born residents of McKinney originated from Mexico. As of 2009, 70% of McKinney's total population born outside of the United States had arrived to the U.S. in the 1990s.[15] In May 2017, the US Census Bureau reported that McKinney City, Texas was the third fastest-growing city in the United States. It had a 5.9% growth rate between 2015 and 2016.[8]

The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (2016) states that the city's various funds had $324.6 million in total revenues, $247.9 million in total expenditures, $1,360.8 million in total assets, $437.6 million in total liabilities, and $363.9 million in cash and investments.[17]

The McKinney City Council has seven members. Two council members and the mayor are elected at large, and four council members are elected to single-member districts.

McKinney's City Manager serves under the direction of the City Council, and administers and coordinates the implementation of procedures, policies, and ordinances.[18]

The city of McKinney is a voluntary member of the North Central Texas Council of Governments association, the purpose of which is to coordinate individual and collective local governments and facilitate regional solutions, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and enable joint decisions.

At the federal level, the two U.S. senators from Texas are Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. McKinney is part of Texas's U.S. Congressional 3rd District, which is represented by Republican Van Taylor.

The McKinney Police Department is the primary municipal law enforcement agency that serves the city. Chief Greg Conley is the head of the department and for fiscal year 2016–17 there was an authorized total of 201 sworn peace officers and 59 non-sworn civilian positions.[19] The department was awarded national accredited status from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA)[20] and is also a Texas Police Chief's Association Foundation (TPCAF) Recognized Agency,[21] making it only the third agency in Texas to receive both state and national accreditation.[19] Notable recent incidents in the department's history include the high-profile investigation of a 2004 quadruple homicide that claimed the lives of two adults and two high school football players,[22] a 2010 attack on the police department headquarters by a gunman who fired over 100 rifle rounds at the building and employees after attempting to detonate a truck and trailer full of explosives,[23] and protests and media attention in 2015 after a video was released showing an officer pinning a girl at a pool party in McKinney to the ground with his knees.[24] The department has lost three officers in the line of duty: City Marshal Samuel Burks in 1902,[25] Officer Marion Taylor in 1938,[26] and Officer Milligan Burk in 1970.[27]

McKinney is the home of the Central Park Campus of Collin College near the city's center at US 75 and US 380, which opened in 1985 as the initial campus for the community college district.[28] The Collin Higher Education Center campus of Collin College opened in southern McKinney in 2010 and offers select bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in partnership with Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Woman's University, The University of Texas at Dallas, and the University of North Texas.[29]

Five of the seven school districts serving the city placed in the top 5% in the Niche 2018 Best School Districts in America rankings; Allen ISD ranked #33 nationally, Frisco ISD ranked #60, Prosper ISD ranked #73, Lovejoy ISD ranked #78, and McKinney ISD ranked #268.[31]

In the 2018 U.S. News & World Report High School Rankings, Lovejoy High School ranked #49 in Texas rankings and #283 in National rankings; McKinney North High School ranked #76 and #627, respectively, McKinney Boyd High School ranked #85 and #722, respectively, Frisco Liberty High School ranked #92 and #770, respectively, Prosper High School ranked #124 and #1100, respectively, and Allen High School ranked #130 and #1228, respectively.[32]

Imagine International Academy of North Texas is a no-tuition open-enrollment public charter school for grades K–12 in McKinney. It is open to students within any school district that serves McKinney residents. It is state-funded, independently run, and not part of any school district.[33]

McKinney no longer has public transit after financial troubles caused Texoma Area Paratransit System (TAPS) to stop offering contracted service in the city in 2015.[36] As of late 2016 the city is pursuing a designation as an Urban Transit District to allow it to directly receive state and federal funds to re-establish some form of public transit.[37]

The far southwestern corner of McKinney, in the large Craig Ranch development, has a trolley bus that serves the development and some shopping centers in the surrounding area.